Photo: Meiklejohn Architects
Kelowna City Council did not get exactly what it had promised or hoped for from its Central Green location.
When the council approved the final piece of the massive housing project on the former KSS site on Monday, they largely agreed that they were getting what they wanted.
Housing density in the city center.
“I was there when this was first considered, and the main driving force behind Central Green in my memory was that we wanted apartment buildings in downtown Kelowna,” said Coun. Luke Stack.
“At that time, we didn’t see a lot of living space in the central part of the city, neither condominiums nor rental apartments.
“This was a plan to encourage this and to show that living in one of the urban centers was a viable option. We have seen all kinds of apartment buildings in the city center for those years.”
Plans for the former high school property on Harvey Avenue and Richter Street date back to 2002 when the city bought the property for $ 2.6 million. Three years later, the company bought the corner office building for $ 873,000 before embarking on an ambitious redevelopment plan in 2007.
The plans were originally introduced and agreed in 2008, but in 2010, after the real estate market collapsed, the plan was found to be financially unsustainable.
That changed in 2014 when Al Stober Construction bought the property for $ 6 million.
Original plans included mixed-use towers overlooking the motorway from 18 to 22 floors, but were changed to allow up to 20 floors in height in the center of the development.
Those plans changed again, with smaller buildings and very little commercial or retail outlets.
“The process has been a journey for the entire ward and for all of us in the council. The desires of the ward have changed over time,” said Coun. Ryan Donn.
Coun. Brad Sieben said he needs to adjust his expectations but ultimately believes the project will tick many boxes.
“There are many wins in that,” said Coun. Mohini Singh. “I think we’ve come a long way. This will be good for our city.”
Coun. Charlie Hodge voted against the project’s last two buildings, saying he was “under-challenged”.
“Part of the problem that I have to admit is my expectations of what I thought it would be there based on the process of how we got here,” he said.
“The plan started off with a very different look, and part of my problem here is that there aren’t enough of what I would consider three bedroom units or family units. A mix of building sizes, a mix of sidewalks and paths, and the idea there would be retail and stores and stores, and lots of them. “
The final development of the property will include 748 residential units, more than the proposed 717 but at the expense of commercial space.
Urban planner Ryan Smith says this is actually a net positive as additional commercial units would increase travel generation and weigh on parking.
“I understand that there will be some in our community who will express disappointment that it may not match the original vision,” said Mayor Colin Basran.
“But I think you need to look at what came up now. The fact that while we hit the density targets, we went at the expense of less commercial retail and office space. But I’m OK given the proximity to Downtown. “
He pointed out that it is a LEED certified community that contains much-needed supportive housing that has “integrated into the neighborhood with no problems”.
“While I appreciate that we didn’t start exactly where we started, the benefits to the community have been absolutely immense.”
Construction work on the last two buildings is expected to begin this year.
